The invention pertains to a switching system for rapidly configuring high speed transmission paths for digital information in parallel form, and particularly to such a system employing parallel-to-serial and serial-to-parallel digital converters which are synchronously operated. There are increasing applications for a switching system for rapidly coupling large quantities of high-speed digital information in parallel form between computer equipments. For example, in the Navy Tactical Data System (NTDS) it would be very desirable to develop a means for providing multiple data transmission paths between NTDS computer equipments which would improve over present NTDS switching means. Presently, NTDS equipments are usually interconnected by heavy and bulky cables having pin connectors, which must manually be inserted into patch boards. Such means may require substantial allotments of manhours, space and weight support. A switching means capable of rapidly configuring transmission paths for digital data in parallel form between NTDS computer equipments, wherein the rate of data transmission may exceed 100 kilowords per second for each path, each word being up to 36 bits in length, could provide an improvement over such present means.
Synchronously operated parallel-to-serial (P/S) converters and serial-to-parallel (S/P) converters may be employed in providing an improved switching system. To synchronously operate a P/S converter and an S/P converter, periodic clock signals are transmitted to both converters with such timing that the converters are always clocked synchronously, the P/S converter generating a digital pulse output each time the S/P converter accepts a digital pulse input. If the output of the P/S converter is coupled directly through a data transmission path to the input of the S/P converter, synchronization allows the generation of data bit time slots at the P/S converter in a one to one relation to the clock transitions of the S/P converter.